This invention relates to hanging devices, in particular, a hanging device for hanging a plurality of belts by their respective belt buckles.
A standard fashion accessory in most wardrobes is the belt. Most belt wearers have a plurality of belts which differ in size, in color and in style in order to match the corresponding outfit worn by the belt wearers. In that belts are constructed from relatively flat elongated strips of material such as leather, the storage of a significant number of belts by the belt wearer presents unique problems.
Typically, the owner of a plurality of belts will place the belts in a drawer of a dresser or the like for storage. Depending on the number of belts, locating a particular desired belt from a large collection stored in a dresser drawer may be difficult. In addition, the storage of a plurality of belts in a dresser drawer eliminates storage space for other clothing articles such as shirts, socks, and undergarments. Further, the elongated strips of material which comprise the belts may be inadvertently tangled in the confines of the dresser drawer so as to potentially cause damage to the material upon the removal of the belts from the dresser drawer.
Previous attempts to construct a device for hanging belts have been limited. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,692, a belt hanger is provided for displaying an individual belt on sale. The device disclosed in the '692 patent is limited in that the belt hanger only holds a single belt, and is not reusable. Hence, once the belt is removed from the hanging device disclosed in the '692 patent, the hanging device is rendered useless.
Further, belt hangers which incorporate a hook or the like to allow for a user to hang a belt by the belt buckle are limited and inconvenient. Depending on the depth of the hook, only a fixed number of belts may be supported. Further, it is highly probable that a belt buckle may be accidentally forced from the hook thereby allowing the belt to fall to the floor. Finally, if a plurality of belts are hung from a single hook, the user must remove all of the belts between the end of the hook and the desired belt in order to gain access to the desired belt. This process is not only inconvenient, but increases the time required to select the desired belt since all undesired belts must not only be removed from the hook, but rehung on the hook thereafter.
Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a hanging device for hanging a plurality of belts by their respective belt buckles.
It is a further object and feature of the present invention to provide a hanging device for hanging a plurality of belts which allows for the belts to be vertically displayed.
It is a still further object and feature of the present invention to provide a hanging device for hanging a plurality of belts which allows the user to simply and easily select a desired belt and remove the same from the hanging device.
It is a still further object and feature of the present invention to provide a hanging device for hanging a plurality of belts which is inexpensive to manufacture.
A hanging device is provided for hanging a plurality of belts, each of which having a belt buckle with an opening therethrough. The hanging device includes a hanger having a hook portion and a body portion depending therefrom. The body portion includes first and second arms diverging from the hook portion, and a support rod interconnecting the arms such that the body portion defines a closed loop.
The hanging device of the present invention further includes one of more ring members. Each ring member is defined by first and second segments terminating in manually separable ends such that each member is manipulatable between a first configuration wherein terminating ends of each segment abut and each ring member forms a closed loop, and a second configuration wherein the terminating ends are separated so as to allow the ring member to be positioned about the support rod and to allow insertion of one of the terminating ends through the opening in the belt buckle of each belt.
In an alternate embodiment, the hanging device includes a hanging member supportable by a support. The hanging member defines a closed loop.
The hanging device of the alternate embodiment further includes a ring member having a circular band with a break therein. The ring member is manipulatable between a first configuration wherein the circular band defines a closed loop, and a second configuration wherein the portion of the frame may be inserted through the break in the ring member so as to allow the ring member to hang on the hanging member, and wherein a portion of the ring member may be inserted through the opening in the belt buckle of each belt in order to retain the belt buckle on the ring member.